Resurgence of malaria case buildup pertain to the parasites, epidemiological and entomological indices in Addis Ababa

Abstract

Introduction: For almost 20 years, Ethiopia has successfully managed its malaria problem by largely using LLINs, IRS, and efficient anti-malarial medication. Nevertheless, the recent recurrence of malaria in Ethiopia was mostly caused by reasons such as climatic change, excessive population mobility, urbanisation, new construction, irrigation system development, and others. October 2022 fever cases were recorded by Addis Ababa City Public Health Institute.

Methods: Medical records were examined, blood samples were obtained to check for the presence of Plasmodium, and we looked into the case to determine the cause and origin of the malaria outbreak. Consequently, vector surveillance was done in the impacted areas. Analysis was done using descriptive data.

Result: There were 903 cases of malaria in all, with the majority of cases recorded being in the 15–34 age range (35%). Of the cases, 69 were male and 31 were female. Seventy-one percent of the cases had a travel history, while the remaining 29 percent do not. In addition, there were 118 daily labourers, 137 government employers, 278 unemployed people, and 370 private employees in relation to occupation. According to the lab results, 37% of the parasites were Plasmodium falciparium, 55% were Plasmodium vivax, and the remaining 8% were mixed. After a few days of research, 88% of the mosquitoes that had been collected were discovered to be Culex, and the remaining 12% to be An. gambiae sl.

Conclusion: This surveillance looked into An. gambiae sl, in the research areas, which is unusual even if malaria cases are not new in the area. We discovered that the main vector source was artificial breeding sites. To halt the ongoing outbreak and guarantee future prevention, appropriate treatment and vector control with LLINs should be implemented.